
Washiouton 



"Lt/T ''1 

HWWW l M i aMIIIIW l i l lW IIIW I IIi W II MIIWniWffll WW ^ 



Stories 
^asbington 




ifM«M»0i)»!«H'in«»timH9«m!(mm>i)tlllt1ll(IiWll'»«tHII>OWlWtWttllWlll|ylli 




LIBRARY JF CONGRESS. 

Cliap. Copynght No. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



SANTA ROSA REPRODUCTION STORIES 



Cbe Story of 

Slasbington 

ILLUSTRATED BY CHILDREN 



BY y^ 

JKSSIK R. SMIXH 

it 

AUTHOR OF " FOUR TRUE STORIES," ETC. 



Revised edition 




New York 
WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON 

3 AND 5 West iSth Street 
1898 



2nc* Copy 

1898, ' TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 



•^5 £5 



7319 



Copyright, 1898 

By WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON 

New York 



TO TEACHERS 



This book is to be read by children^ not 
to them. 

Fifty years ago, the only tool used by the 
teacher in teaching reading was the school 
lesson-book. Since that time, the problem, 
both in means and purpose, has greatly 
broadened. The modern teacher has several 
ends in view and finds use for a variety of 
tools. In the first preliminary steps of 
teaching technique, the process is probably a 
more or less mechanical one, and the teacher 
still finds use for the reading-book. But 
once this initiation is accomplished, she finds 
herself in need of a variety of different 



PREFACc 

books. She wants stories of intrinsic inter- 
est to children, which may be either read or 
related, for the purpose of introducing the 
children to literature, myth, history, and 
science. When he has reached his fifth 
school year, and generally 7iot until then, 
under present rates of progress, the child 
is able to read such stories for himself. 
To rneet this need, the market 7iow offers a 
liberal assortment of serviceable books. Bid 
between the first-year period and this later 
period, there exists at present a gap, both 
in the child's ability to read and ift the mar- 
ket supply of books which he can read. The 
child, dtiriiig these yeai^s, is hujzgering for 
stories, especially for ''true'' stories, and 
some mothers and teachers try to meet the 
dema7zd by reading and telling. This is 
well and good, but it is clear that if this 



PREFACE 

inborn craving could be met by books y framed 
in language of such limited vocabulary and 
construction that the child in the second and 
third years of school could understa^id, and 
of such intrinsic interest that his attention 
w 071 Id constantly be invited to the story 
rather than to the form of prints a valuable 
tool would be offered. Rapidity in learning 
to read depends upon the quantity of 
material read and tipon the quickness with 
which the child's attention shall be drawn 
to the substance by which the process is Tnade 
more or less an tmconscious 07te. The ma7^- 
ket supply of stich books is painfully weak. 
Those that zve have are chiefly the result of 
the attonpt of some adult to project himself 
into the mind and vocabulary of a child, a7id 
such atte77ipts have 7tot bee7i fruitful of 
m7ich success. 



PREFACE 

This book is designed to meet this end. It 
is practically written by children. Miss 
Smith's purpose has been that of a faithful 
chronicler of children's Ia7ig2iage, mode of 
expression, and the lines of their plot inter- 
est. In this purpose she has had the advan- 
tage of a natural sympathy and i7istinctive 
" rapport " with the child m^ind and impulses, 
that, so far as my experience speaks, few 
persons possess. The method of the book's 
production has been as follows : she first re- 
lated to her p7ipils, who were from seven to 
nine years of age, the sto7y of the hero in 
the best form her instincts could dictate. 
Some days later, after the story, its form 
of presentation, and language have somewhat 
''settled" in the children s mijids, she has 
called for reproductioiis, both oral and in 
written for^n, allowing the pupils also to 



PREFACE 

illustrate their written work in any way 
they pleased. She has then made these 
reproductions the material for most careful 
study as to essential elements of plot^ salient 
points of interest, and especially the words 
and forms of expression used by the chil- 
dren. By this means the story has been 
reconstructed. Portions over which the 
children love to linger are brought out to the 
fullest extent. Their words and forms of 
language, within the limit of grammatical 
usage, are followed scrupulously. Much 
care has been used to keep the stories within 
a limited vocabulary. Less than 750 differ- 
ent words are used in the entire series, and 
these, excepting the necessary geographical 
names, are all of the commonest use among 
children. 

The practical idea upon which the plan 



PREFACE 

is based is, thereforey that if there are 
points of interest and description which 
partictilarly and uniquely attract children, 
these will be the points which will be most 
forcibly impressed tipon children s minds 
when they hear the story related ; and fur- 
ther, of these points, the strongest will be the 
ones best remembered when the children 
reproduce the story. By using a compara- 
tively large number of these reproductions. 
Miss Smith has gleaned the common points 
of interest as well as the com^non formes 
of expression. The method is therefore 
unique. Without attempting to formulate 
any principles or a philosophy of children's 
interests. Miss Sm^ith has svnply sought to 
draw the 7naterial from the child himself. 

FREDERICK BURK. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 




WASHINGTON AS A BOY, 

HEN George Washington was a lit- 
tle boy, he lived in Virginia. His 
home was near the Potomac river. 
George had a big brother named 
Laurence. 

Laurence was a soldier, and he told George fine 
stories. George wanted to be soldier, too. But 
Laurence said: '^You are too small. You must 
wait until you are a man." 

George did not like that. He said: "I want to 
be a soldier right now." 

So he played with the boys at school. At re- 
cess, he would get his sword and call: "Fall in! 
Fall in!" 

Then the boys would run and get in line. They 
would march up and down the road. 
The boys thought this was great fun. 
Sometimes they would have a battle. One side 
had cornstalks and the other side had broomsticks 
for guns. George was the best captain, and his 
side alwa3^s won. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 




_ --^^^^^rT- "^ ' J::::.'J.tJL^J^A.>>o».<^-' 



THB BOYS PLAY SOLDIERS AT SECESS 
(Philip Redmond— age, 12.) 

One day George's father gave him a new hatchet. 
It had a pretty red handle. George was very 
proud of his new hatchet. He went around cutting 
everything. He said he wanted to see how sharp 
it was. 

By and by, he came to the orchard. His father 
had a fine young cherry-tree there. 

George saw the tree, and said : " I wonder if my 
hatchet can cut this tree?" 

He looked and looked at the tree. Then he felt 
the edge of the hatchet. He shook his head and 
said: "No; I guess it isn't sharp enough." 

But he thought he would try it anyway. 

At the first blow, the tree fell down. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

Now, poor George felt very sorry. He did not 
know what to do. 

He tried to set it up again, but it would not stay. 

So he picked up his hatchet, and went to the 
house. 

After a while his father went out to look at his 
cherry-tree. He saw it lying on the ground. 

He said: "What is the matter with my tree? 
Some one must have cut it. I will ask George 
about it." 

So he called, '' George ! George! Come here." 




GEORGE AND THE CHERRY-TREE. 

(Robert Winton— age, 12.) 

George came, and his father said : " Look at my 
cherry-tree. It is dead. Do you know who cut it?" 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

*' I did," said George. 

"Why did you do it?" said his father. 

"I was trying my new hatchet. I wanted to see 
how sharp it was. I did n't think it would hurt 
the tree." 

"Well," said his father, "it was a fine tree. I 
am sorry to lose it, but 'I am glad my boy has told 
me the truth." 

When George was eleven years old his father 
died. His mother took care of the farm. She had 
a very fine colt. 

One morning, George and Laurence went into 
the field to see the colt. Some other boys went 
with them. 

George said: "I guess I will ride the colt." 

But Laurence said: "No; you must not. It will 
throw you off." 

"Boys," said George, "if you will catch him, I 
will ride him." 

Laurence said: "No; don't you do it. You will 
get hurt." 

But George would not listen, and said: "Go on, 
boys; I am not afraid." v 

So they chased the colt up into a corner. They 
threw the bridle over his head. Then George 
jumped upon his back. The poor colt was so 
frightened. No one had ever been upon it before. 
It ran and jumped and kicked. It tried and tried 
to throw George off, but he held on very tight. 
Then it gave a big jump and fell down. The boys 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 



4t: 




r<K-«*»^'j ♦iii t^>^ 



^s^^"^' 



GEORGE RIDES THE COLT. 

(Fred. Higgins— age, 12.) 

tried to get it up, but the colt was dead. It had 
broken a blood-vesseh 

Poor George said : " I am so sorry. But I will go 
and tell my mother." 

The boys went home. George and Laurence went 
to the house. Their mother said : " Well, boys, I saw 
you in the field. How is the colt this morning?" 

"It is dead," said George. 

"Dead!" said his mother. "Who killed it?" 

"I did," said George. 

"You! Why, how could you kill it?" said his 
mother. 

Then George told her all about it. 

At first his mother was angry. Then she said: 
"I would rather lose the colt than have my boy tell 
a story." 



IN THE WOODS. 

GEORGE went to school until he was sixteen. 
Then he went to see his brother. 

Laurence had a pretty home. It was on the bank 
of the Potomac river. He called it Mt. Vernon. 

One day George threw a stone clear across the 
river. He was the only boy who could throw so 
far. 

By and by, he went to survey some land. He 
took one man with him. This land was away out 
in the woods. 

George had to ride over rough roads and climb 
steep hills. Some of the streams were so deep that 
his horse had to swim across. 




'Tix^* '^^^-'^k 



GEORGE GOES SURVEYING. 

(Philip Redmond — age, 12.) 



George and the man worked hard all day. They 
measured the land with a long chain. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 

At night they did n't know what to do. They 
had no place to sleep. There was n't a house in the \ 
woods. 

So they built a big fire. Then they made a bed 
of leaves. One night the leaves caught fire. George ' 
was fast asleep, but the man woke up. i 

He jumped up and called: ''George! George! 
Get up. You '11 burn up!" 

But George did not move. ? 

Then the man shook him. ! 

George opened his eyes, and said : " What do you 
want?" 

" Get up quick," said the man ; " the bed is on fire ! " 

George got up, and they put out the fire. They 
had a good laugh about it. Then they went back 
to bed. 

They shot birds and deer for food. They put the 
meat on a stick, and cooked it over a fire. 

The first day, the man said: "Dinner is ready. 
Please hand me the plates." 

"Plates!" said George. "You know we haven't 
any." 

"Yes; we have,'^ said the man. 

"Where are they?" said George. "^ 

" See that tree. Well, take this ax and cut some 
chips. They will do for plates." i 

"They will be fine," said George, "and we won't | 
have to wash them." |i 

One day a band of Indians came along. | 

They said: "How do you do, white men? Do w 
you live here?" 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

"Yes," said George; ''sit down and stay a while." 
So they sat down before the fire. George gave 

them something to eat. 
Then the chief said: ''We will dauce for the 

white men." 




INDIANS DANCING FOR GEORGE. 

( Lee Turner— age, 11.) 

First they made a drum. They took a pot that 
was half-full of water. Then they put a skin over it. 

One of them drummed, and the others danced 
around and around. Then they yelled and shot 
their arrows. 

George thought that they were very strange. 
They were the first Indians he ever saw. 

He talked with them a long time. They showed 
him how they fought in war. They hid behind trees 
and rocks, and shot with their bows and arrows. 

^* George lived in the woods for three years. Then 
he went back to his home at Mt. Vernon. 



FIGHTING THE FRENCH AND INDIANS. 

THE French people lited in one part of America ; 
the English people lived in another part. They 
both wanted the land lying along the Ohio river. 

The Indians wanted this land, too. They said ; 
"The land is ours. We were here first." 

The French people said : " You help us. We are 
your friends." 

"What will you do?" said the Indians. 

"We will drive the English away. Then all the 
land will be ours," said the French. 

"That is a good plan," said the Indians, "and 
we will all help you." 

So the French built a fort on the Ohio river. 

This made the English very angry. They said : 
"That is our land. The French have no right 
there. Let us fight." 

The governor of the English said: "No; not yet. 
I will tell them they must go away." 

"They won't go," said the people. 

"Then we will fight them," said the governor. 

So he sent for George Washington. He said to 
him: "Some French people are on our land. Will 
you go to see them for me?" 

"Yes," said Washington. "What shall I do?" 
) The governor said : " Tell them the land is ours. 
They must go away, or we will fight them." 

The next day Washington set out for the fort. 
He took one white man and some friendly Indians 
with him. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

He dressed himself like an Indian. They all 
carried guns. 

When they got to the fort, the French people 
said : " No ; we will not give up this land." 

"But it is ours," said Washington. 

They said: *' We have come here to stay. If the 
English people do not like it, they will have to 
fight." 

Then Washington started back to Virginia. 

The Frenchmen told the Indian guide to kill 
Washington, if he could. So, one day, the Indian 
shot at Washington, but did not hurt him. 




THE INDIAN GUIDE SHOOTS AT WASHINGTON. 

(Fred. Higgins— age, 12.) 



After that, Washington and the white man left 
the Indian. They went on by themselves. 

By and by, they came to a river. It was full of 
big blocks of ice 



THE STORY OP WASHINGTON. 

They made a raft and pushed it along with poles. 
Washington's pole slipped, and he fell into the 
water. He had to swim to the shore. 




CROSSING ON A RAFT. 
(Amelia Gabriel— age, 13.) 

The man said: "Let us stay here to-night. I 
w411 make a fire. Then you can get dry." 

But the wood was too wet to burn. So they went 
on. They walked all night. 

By and by, they came to Virginia. Washington 
told the governor what the Frenchmen said. 

The governor said: "All right; we will fight 
them. The land is ours, and we will have it." 



IN BATTLE. 

THE king of England sent over a fine army. 
Their leader was General Braddock. 
The governor made Washington captain of a 
little army. He sent him with Braddock to fight 
the French. 

Braddock's army were good soldiers. They wore 
bright red coats. 

Washington's men had never been to war. But 
they knew how to fight the Indians. 




BRADDOCK BIDES TO WAR, 

(Philip Wright— age, 11.) 



The soldiers looked very fine as they marched 
away. 

All the people stood on the sidewalk to watch 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

them go by. Drums were beating and flags were 
flying. 

General Braddock rode in a fine carriage. His 
officers rode on horseback. Then came a long line 
of soldiers in red coats. 

Soon they came to the woods. Now, there were 
no roads. They had to go along paths. They cut 
down trees and built bridges to cross the rivers. 

Braddock was very proud of his army. He said 
to Washington: *' See my fine soldiers. It won't 
take us long to drive the French away." 

Washington said: "Yes; they are good soldiers. 
But they don't know how to fight the Indians. Let 
my men go first." 

"No," said Braddock; "my men must go first. 
They know how to fight. They are not afraid of 
the Indians." 

" Your men won't see the Indians," said Wash- 
ington. 

" How can they fight us, then? " said Braddock. 

" They hide in the woods. They fire from be- 
hind trees and rocks," said Washington. 

But Braddock would not listen to Washington. 

The next day they were near the fort. They had 
to march up a long hill. Washington again said : 
" Let my men go first. They are used to the woods 
and to the Indians." 

This made Braddock angry. He was an old 
soldier. He thought he knew more tlian Wash- 
ington. 

He said : " No ; my men must go first." 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

So on they went. Everything was very quiet. 

All at once they heard the war-cry of the Indians. 
Then came shot after shot. Indians were behind 
every tree, shooting and yelling. 







■^AJLci 



riGHTING THE INDIANS. 

(Fred, Higgins— age, 12.) 



The English soldiers were falling down on every 
side. The others did not know what to do. They 
could see no one. They did not know where to 
fire. They were more afraid of the yelling than of 
the shots. 

Braddock rode in front of his men. He called 
out, ''Keep in line! March up the hill!" 

But the soldiers would not move. By and by, 
poor Braddock was killed. Then Washington 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

came up with his men. They did not march in a 
line. They got behind trees and rocks. 

When an Indian put out his head, they fired at 
him. 

Washington rode up and down in front of the 
army. He had two horses shot under him. Four 
bullets went through his coat, but he was not hurt. 

Washington saved the English army. He kept 
the French and Indians back, while the English 
soldiers went home to Virginia. 

That night he took his men to Virginia, also. 

This war with the French lasted seven years. 
When it was over, the English had all the land east 
of the Mississippi river. The French could not 
live there any longer. 

After the war, Washington went back to Mt. 
Vernon. 



THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY, 

WASHINGTON was glad to be at home again. He 
wanted to take care of his place. He liked 
to hunt and fish. He said he did not want to be a 
soldier any longer. 

But soon there was another war. And Washing- 
ton helped the people. 

At this time there were many people in America. 
Every one was happy. They had cleared the 
ground. Their homes were good. 

But the king of England said : " These colonies 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

in America are mine. I must have some of their 
money." 

He thought and thought how he could get it. 

Then he said : " I will send over some soldiers. 
They must pay for them." 

The people said : " We are not at war. We do 
not want any soldiers. " 

" They will help you keep the French away," 
said the king. 

*^ But we are not afraid of the French," said the 
people. 

The king sent the soldiers anyway. 

Then the people said : '' We will not pay for 
them." 

The king said : " Pay the money, or I will take it 
away from you." 

" But," said the people, " you have no right to do 
that. If you try to take our money, we will fight." 

The king sent over men to get the money. But 
the people would not pay it. 

Then the king said: *' I will tax them." 

He put a tax on many things the people had to 
buy. The people did not like this. They said: 
" We will not pay it." 

First, the king put a tax on paper. The people 
said they would not buy any paper. 

They sent Benjamin Franklin to England to seethe 
king. He was one of their wise men. They thought 
the king would listen to him. They did not want 
to fight the king. England was their old home. 
They all loved it. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

They said : " We will buy your goods. Your 
ships may come here. But 3^ou must not tax us. 
We must be free." 

But the king would not listen. He wanted their 
money. 

So he said : " Pay your taxes. Then you will be 
free." 

The people said: ''No; we will not pay the 
taxes." 

Then the king said : " Every one drinks tea. I 
will put a tax on it. All the tea must come in 
English ships." 

" We won't use any tea," said the people ; " we 
will drink water." 

One day three ships came into Boston. They were 
loaded with tea. That night the people had a big 
meeting. 

They said : " Shall the tea be landed ? " 

" No, no," cried the men ; " it can't land. We 
won't pay the taxes on it." 

So the ships stayed at the wharf. That night 
the sailors heard a strange noise. 

*'Whatisit?"they said. 

But no one knew. They all ran on deck. They 
saw a great band of Indians on the wharf. They 
had long feathers in their hair. Their faces were 
painted. They were dancing and yelling. 

The English sailors were frightened. They had 
never seen any Indians before. The Indians came 
nearer and nearer. Now they were on board the 
ship. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

" What do you want ? " cried the sailors. 
" Tea, tea, tea ! " yelled the Indians. 
They soon found the tea. They did not take it 
on shore, but splash, splash, it went into the water. 




THROWING THE TEA OVERBOARD. 

rPHiLiP Wright— age, 11.) 

When the tea was all gone, the Indians left the 
ship. This time they were not yelling. Their paint 
and feathers were gone. 

The sailors saw that they were not Indians at all. 
They were Boston men. 

The men laughed at the sailors, and said : " Well, 
now your tea is gone, I guess you can't make us 
pay any tax on it." 

" You will see," said the sailors. " You will have 
to pay for this." 



THE STORY OP WASHINGTON. 

" We are not afraid," said the men. 

The next day the ships went back to England. 
The king was very angry. He said : " I will pun- 
ish those people. We will have a war." 

The people said: "If we have a war, we must 
have George Washington to help us fight." 

So they sent for him. He left his home at Mt. 
Vernon, and went to Boston. There he took charge 
of the army. 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 

THE king sent over a great many soldiers from 
England. They were all good soldiers. They 
wore bright red coats. They had plenty of money. 

Washington had only a few men. They had 
guns but only a little powder. His men were very 
brave. They all knew how to fight. 

One day they were in camp. A soldier said : " Let 
us put up a mark and shoot at it." 

" All right," said the others. So they set up a 
board. They drew a man's nose on it for a mark. 
They all shot at it. Sixty of the men hit the nose. 

" Well," said Washington, " my men are fine 
shots." 

They laughed and said: *' Yes; the English had 
better look out for their noses." 
. They had been at war for over a year. Neither 
side had won. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 




3 mJI JU/o-tivvOr 

SHOOTING AT THE NOSE. 

(Fred. Higgins— age, 12.) 

The king said : " I must win this war." So he 
sent over a larger army. 

The Americans did not know what to do. They 
did not want to fight forever. 

So they had a big meeting at Philadelphia. Men 
from all the colonies met there. 

They said : " Shall we let England rule us? " 

" No, no ! " cried the men. 

" Shall we be friends, and let the king tax us ? " 

" No, no ! " cried the men. 

" Well," said they, " shall we be free? " 
, '' Yes, yes ! " they all cried. 

So the men set to work. They wrote out a paper. 
It said America is free, and an English king could 
not rule in America any longer. 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

This paper was called the "Declaration of Inae- 
pendence." All the men of the meeting wrote their 
names on the paper. This was on the Fourth of 
July. Benjamin Franklin helped to write this 
paper. 

All the people were so happy. They rang bells 
and fired guns. Flags were flying and bands were 
playing. Men and boys marched up and down the 
street. 

They cried : " Hurrah ! Hurrah ! We are free ! 
We are Americans." 

That w^as the first Fourth of July. 

Now, every year, we celebrate the day. 

The Americans said : " Now we are free, we must 
not use the English flag." ^o they made a flag of 
their own. It was red, white, and blue. There 
were thirteen little white stars. They were up in 
a corner, which was blue. Then there were thir- 
teen stripes. They were red and white. 

Now, the king thought he did not have enough 
soldiers. So he sent to Germany and hired some. 

One time, those soldiers were camped by the 
Delaware river. Washington was on the other side. 
Washington wanted to fight those soldiers. So his 
army crossed the river in little boats. It was Christ- 
mas night. The snow was falling thick and fast. 
The river was full of great blocks of ice. The 
boats hit against the ice. They all thought they 
would be lost. 1 

By and by, they reached the other side. It was 
very dark, and the wind blew. The snow fell faster 



f 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 



^/ 4/ '//'/"'/ ^/ 



'/•/'/ V^f 



'^/ 



.1//," '^"1// , / ; ^ 




CROSSING THE DELAWARE. 
(Philip Redmond— age, 12.) 

and faster. Big drops of hail fell on the poor tired 
soldiers. It was so cold that two of the men were 
frozen to death. 

Washington and his men marched very quietly. 

They soon found the German soldiers. They 
were all fast asleep. 

Washington and his men ran upon them. The 
noise made the soldiers wake up. They tried to 
get away. But Washington and his men pointed 
their guns at them. Washington called out: '' Be 
our prisoners, or we will shoot you." 

They cried : '' Don't shoot. We will give up." 

So Washington took them all prisoners.* Then 
he crossed the river with them. 

Washington had a hard ti^e that winter. It 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

was SO long and cold. The poor men were ragged. 
Their shoes were worn out. They put cloth around 
their feet to keep them from freezing. 

Washington was always kind to his men. They 
tried to do their best for him. 

This long war lasted for eight years. But when 
it was over, America was free. An English king 
could not rule here any longer. 

Washington said : " Now I am through fighting, 
I will go home." So he went back to Mt. Vernon. 

But the people wanted a President. 

They said : " We must have the best man in 
America. Who shall it be?" 

" Washington ! Washington ! " cried the people. 




' W JfV^ '-ftjLjbxC "^^ 



;4^^^^b^ r^-x"^ ^ V 






WASHINGTON AS PRESIDENT, 

(Philip Redmond— age, 12.) 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON. 

So he left his home and went to the big city of 
New York. There he was made President. He 
rode in a fine carriage. It was drawn by six white 
horses. The people cheered as he rode along. 

Little children sang songs and threw flowers in 
the street. 

Every one was so happy! 

Washington was President twice. 

Then he went back to Mt. Vernon. He lived 
only two years longer. Then he died. 

Every one loved him. He made America free, 
and was our first President. 

He is called the Father of our Couniry. 



^t4 
•»?» 



SAMPLE PAGES OF 



SIMPLE LESSONS 

IN THE 

STUDY OF NATURE 

FOR THE USE OF PUPILS 

BY 

ISABELLA G. OAKLEY 



Come forth into the Hght of things. 
Let Nature be your teacher. 



ILLUSTRATED 



NEW YORK 
WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON 

59 Fifth Avenue 
1895 



Copyright, 1895, 
By WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON. 



AU rights reserved. 



THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, 
RAHWAY, N. J. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER 



PAGE 

I. Feathers, 1 

II. Shells, ^^2 

III. The Spinal Column, 25 

IV. Limbs of Some Animals, 35 

V. Hands and Feet, 48 

VI. Eyes and Ears, 64 

VII. Teeth, 78 

VIII. Animal Society, 90 

IX. Food for Young Plants, 96 

X. Grass and Plants Like Grass, . . . 104 

XI. Budding and Falling Leaves, . . . .119 

XII. Bark, I33 

XIII. Some Experiments in Combustion, . . .140 

XIV. Summaries, 151 



iil 



PREFACE 



In this new contribution to the rapidly in- 
creasing list of nature lessons, the author offers 
the novelty of a question book, with answers 
withhekl until observation and experiment sug- 
gest them; thus a sort of inductive lesson-book 
with the object in the foreground and the 
teacher behind the scenes. If the topics are 
of sufficient interest to cliildren, there is no 
need to doubt tlieir willingness to puzzle out 
the conclusions which the lessons imply. Wlien 
we recall the persevering curiosity with which 
they take their toys to pieces to see how they 
work, we may rely upon some ability to follow 
up Nature in her work. 

Like all otiier observation lessons these are 
intended to develop thought ; but further to 



VI PREFACE. 

introduce intelligently tbe study of botany, 
zoology, and (to a small extent) natural 
pliilosopliy. 

As science lessons tliey may appear meager 
and loosely connected ; but as inductive lessons 
they have their real unity. This first book is 
adapted to children of the average age of nine 
years, and contains work for one year ; but 
taken together with advanced numbers suited 
to a higher grade, will form, it is believed, not 
only foundation for thoughtful and productive 
study of these particular sciences, but a stimu- 
lus to the love of nature and of truth. 

It is constantly urged that these interesting 
and important branches of study should be 
begun early and carried along from year to 
year, to the point of some real attainment : and 
this will be possible when they are presented 
in books that are helpful alike to pupils and 
teachers. This contribution to that end is 
earnestly recommended to the favor of thought- 
ful teachers. 



PREFACE. Vll 

The illustrations are comparatively few. 
Since tlie lessons are confined to tlie common 
objects that suiTonnd the daily life of all, the 
material for study is easy to obtain. To strew 
it with pretty pictures would defeat the pur- 
pose of the book. Some of the drawings were 
made in the Agassiz Museum of Comparative 
Zoology at Harvard. 

Isabella G. Oakley. 

Great Neck, N. Y., 1895. 



INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. 



Is here another tiresome book of object les- 
sons, witli a string of cut-ancl-dried questions 
and answers about some pictures, assuming 
general ignorance and stupidity, and failing to 
lessen it ? 

Have patience, dear fellow teaclier, while I 
briefly attempt to remove your prejudice and 
secure your approval of these, my Nature 
Lessons. 

Too much has been asked of busy instruct- 
ors, in the demand for oral teaching of 
natural sciences, and the most conscientious 
know best how great a failure it becomes. I 
now offer these lessons, which are real, all hav- 
ing been worked out inductively by little chil- 
dren under my instruction ; and by the novel 
mode of presenting them as questions to be 



IX 



X INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. 

studied with the object in hand, I have sought 
to relieve the teacher's work and to refrain 
from doing the pupil's thinking. 

The questions found in his own book, in 
periods assigned for preparing lessons, will 
arouse and guide the child's curiosity, and pre- 
pare him to become the intelligent questioner 
when the delightful lesson time arrives. The 
Summaries (printed at the end) supply the 
teacher the means to give direction and preci- 
sion to his thoughts. They are a sort of key 
to the subjects of inquiry, reduced to brief and 
careful statements. It would be best for a 
teacher to get familiar with all the Summaries 
belonging to a chapter, before entering upon it, 
to anticipate, by repeated reminders, the need 
of material, and then to withdraw, as it were, 
and let the lessons do their work ; only guiding, 
never telling until the time comes for the sum- 
ming up. Then, by dictating or otherwise pre- 
senting the Summaries, he reappears as the 
one who must throw the light and settle the 



INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. XI 

doubts. Siicli a book can advantageously be 
kept open in recitation — as any good school 
book may always be when teachers are doing 
the best books permit. Thus, though flights of 
fancy may be indulged, too great discursiveness 
is held in check, and the minds of the children 
are easily brought to settle strongly around a 
few clear points. 

Many devices are sought to enable the class 
to linger around a topic, for I would insist on 
two cardinal points of advantage : give time 
for the thought to develop ; and let the pupils 
do most of the speaking, if it is only to read 
aloud the questions, and frame answers as well 
as they can. 

In the lessons in Inology there is usually a 
discovery to be made of the adaptation of an 
orga)i to its function. This gives the funda- 
mental unity of inductive science lessons to 
^vhat at first may seem objectionably heter- 
ogeneous topics. Nature lessons cannot be 
pursued in the consecutive order of the 



Xli INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. 

development of life, as they are presented in 
books depending upon pictures for illustrations. 
The material for illustration must be available ; 
hence, in these simple lessons, I have limited 
my choice of topics to such as can be studied 
from life. The few pictures are w^holly sub- 
ordinate. N^o lesson should he allowed to i^ro- 
ceed without a full supjyly of material, enough 
for all to handle. It is a good plan, in a large 
class, to divide it into groups under the leader- 
ship of a few responsible pupils. 

A word farther upon the usefulness of giv- 
ing such a book to pupils. By possessing a 
book, they get opportunity to reflect ; to review 
the points that have not been well under- 
stood; to put to-day's work with yesterday's, 
and to repair the losses of absence. A respon- 
sibility for the lesson can be much more I'eadily 
educated with a text-book than without one ; 
this very important point is one too much lost 
sight of by the advocates of oral teaching, no\v 
so positive of its value. 



INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. XIU 

All the means of expression are in constant 
requisition — as iniicli correlation of studies as 
any could ask ; but tlie best results can only be 
reached in classes where children are encour- 
aged to talk freely. Speech training is what 
our schools have yet to do. When yes or no 
is the only answer, something is wrong. 

Finally the lessons appeal to the heart ; not 
only by the interspersed poetry, which should 
be learned and relearned, but by the oppor- 
tunities they frequently present of giving an 
uplift to the feelings. Those who are on the 
outlook for such opportunities are doing the 
best work that falls within a teacher's reach. 

Notes to teachers are scattered throu2:hout 
the book ; to many they will seem superfluous : 
to some they may carry hints about the con- 
duct of the lessons which they can profitably 
use. They are not trammels nor do they 
assume that all w^ould not go well if they were 
absent. Some of them contain information that 
Avill be useful as a backo-round of thouo^ht ; 



XIV INTRODUCTION TO TEACHERS. 

many are only reiterated persuasions to keep 
within the author's purposes in the use of the 
lessons. 

One other word about the Summaries. 
Though they serve their chief purpose in giv- 
ing concise expression to thought, they are also 
a means of securing neat, orderly notebooks, 
where the little compositions and drawings will 
naturally appear. But do not let it be pre- 
tended tliat this is '^ laboratory work," nor 
expect of infancy valuable records of measure- 
ments and dates, of seed-time and harvests. 
Those who believe in training the memory by 
rehearsing sentences that have fully taken hold 
of the understanding, may make them serve 
that use. 



SIMPLE LESSONS IN THE STUDY 
OF NATURE. 



CHAPTER I. 



FEATHERS. 

Lesson I. 

Preparation : Have a supply of stiff feathers from the 
wing or tail of a bird. 

Where did you find your feathers ? 

Do you know what part of the bird they 
grew on ? 

To-day we want only these large ones that 
came from the wing or tail. 

Lay one across your hand ; how does it feel ? 

Could you hold a great pile of them easily 
on your hand? 



2 FEATHERS. 

What is the part called we hold the feather 
by? 

(Have new names written on blackboard, and discussed as words.) 

Write quill. It extends all through the 
feather. 

Compare the upper and under surfaces of the 
feather. 

Are the surfaces of the feather alike? At 
the same time, notice the difference in the form 
of the quill. 

Keep the upper surface of the feather toward 
you, and see whether on the right side of the 
(piill it grows as it does on the left. 

Draw a feather, and try to draw the quill in 
just the right place. 

Can you see through the quill? How is it 
made ? Would not a solid quill be better ? 

Try to tear the feather; is it tough? Can 
you easily destroy it ? 

Try to bend it ; is it stiff ? 

Which side of the quill is the stiffest ? 



FEATHERS. 



Now tell wliat things we have observed in 



the feather. 

Write the Summary. 
(Teacher see Introduction.) 



Lesson II. 



You will see something very curious now 
about a feather, something I dare say you have 
never before seen. 

Hold it to the light, look through it. See 
ho^v far you can stretch one side without pull- 
ing it apart. Now draw it between your thumb 
and finger downward toward the hollow quill, 
and then back to the point. Do this several 
times, very gently, all the time keeping it 
toward the light. 

Can you make the parts close up perfectly 
again, after you have separated them ? 

What makes the little pieces hold together? 
Be sure you look well. Some children think 
it is gum that sticks the threads together ; is it ? 



FEATHERS. 



Wlieii you pull two clusters very gently apart, 
find out just what takes place ; but do it slowly : 
hold it between your eyes and tlie liglit, or you 
will miss seeing a curious thing. It is very 
fine, and not easy to see. What do you find 
along the edges of the threads ? 

If you can look through a small magnifying 
glass, you will see the very nice method of 
latching which these hooks have. 

You ought to look at many different ones, 
until you find some that behave differently. 

What, then, holds a feather together and 
makes a fine stiff plume out of a thousand little 
strings ? 

Write the Summary^ 

(Teacher see Introduction.) 



Lesson III. 



Preparation : Bring some soft little feathers, such as grow 
on a bird's breast. 

Is this feather like the wing-feather ^ve had 
yesterday ? 



FEATHERS. 

Tell three things about it that make it 
different. 

Where did you get this feather ? On what 
part of a bird does this one grow ? 

Ho^v are its barbs and barbules formed ? Do 
they lock together ? 

Is this feather lio;ht ? Is it stiif ? 

Do you use such feathers at your house ? 

If you should put your hand into a bag full 
of thein how would tliey feel ? 

Of what use are such little feathers to a bird ? 

Why must a bird keep its eggs warm ? 

Do birds keep warm in cold weather ? 

If you know something about the down that 
grows on birds in cold countries you may tell it. 

I think of some very large feathers that are 
loose and soft like this, throughout ; they grow 
on a remarkable 1 )ii'd. What are they ? 

Brino; tlie winix- feathers and the breast- 
feathers to-morrow. 
Write the Summary. 



6 FEATHERS. 



Lessot^ IVo 
Write all you know about feathers. 

(Teacher may dwell at some length on the use the mother bird 
makes of her downy breast. Enlist sympathy for the preservation of 
creatures so full of instinct and so beautifully made.) 



Lesson V. 



Lay botli featliers side by side. Dip tlie 
wing-featlier under water, and take it out 
quickly. Do tkis several times. Let it lie on 
the water. Or pour water over a wing. 

Is the feather ^vet ? 

Why does the water slip oif ? 

Is it wet through ? 

Can you roake water run through the close 
barbs ? 

Try to wet the down of the breast-feather. 

Of what use is the wing in rainy weather? 

Count the feathers that are overlapped in a 
wing. We say the wing is folded when the 
feathers are all drawn together — this way. 



FEATHERS. 7 

Can birds get out of tlie rain ? How do they 
keep dry ? 

Write the Summary. 

(Do not hurry the observation in this lesson. Try to let everyone 
see, by repeated trials, how the water slips off.) 



Lesson VI. 



The dove with whistling wing of bhie 
The wind can fast collect. 

Preparation : Bring a wing, or if that cannot be got, a 
feather fan, or some feathers sewed together like a wing. 
Try to spread the wing as a bird does. Beat the air slowly 
and thoughtfully by waving the wing, and try to perceive 
how it strikes the air. Now do the same with a piece of 
stiff paper, or a book-cover, or your hands. Do this all 
again and again, until you feel a difference. 

Now tell me liow the air acts under tlie wing. 
When you push it slowly downward how does 
it feel ? When you draw it up, how ? Does 
the air pass through the wing ? Can it pass 
throuo;h ? Is the wine: flat or curved inside ? 

Tell how the feathers are laid over each 

other. Is it necessary that the wing should be 
light ? Why is it so large ? 



8 FEATHERS. 

Wliat causes it to be liglit ? 

The bird can spread it better than yon can. 
It will be difficnlt to tell mnch about its action 
unless it is spread. 

Can you see how beating the air with the 
wing makes a bird go forward ? Show how 
men row a boat. Let us see, if we can, what 
makes the boat go forward. It is so with the 
bird. Her Avings are like very light, stiff oars. 
Is her body at all the shape of a boat ? 

How large do you suppose the largest Avings 
are ? Some birds are as heavy as a youDg child. 

(Teacher will try to make this experiment convincing by having it 
done with pains. Admire the perfection which combines the greatest 
extent and rigidity of surface with the greatest lightness. Try not to 
pursue any points far beside those that are included in the Summaries, 
but many will come up, to be gently dropped. Let the children talk 
freely, but keep the point of view steady. Save a little time to 
give an uplift of thought ; to enlist right feeling, and admiration of 
perfection.) 

Do you think it is right to have birds killed, 
that ladies' hats may be dressed with their 
feathers and wings? 

Write the Summary. 



FEATHERSo 9 

Lesson VII. 

READING LESSON. 

He prayetli best who lovetli best 
All things both great and small. 

— COLEKIDGE. 

One dealer in London is said to have re- 
ceived, as a single consignment, tliirty-two 
thousand dead hnniiningbirds, eighty thousand 
aquatic birds, and eight hnndred thousand 
pairs of wings. A Parisian dealer had a con- 
tract for forty thousand birds, and an army of 
murderers \vas turned out to supply the order. 
No less than forty thousand terns have been 
sent from Lonsf Island in one season for milli- 
nery purposes. At one auction alone in London 
there were sold four hundred and four thou- 
sand, three hundred and eighty-nine West 
Indian and Brazilian bird skins, and three 
hundred and fifty-six thousand, three lumdred 
and eighty-nine East Indian, besides thousands 



10 FEATHERS. 

of pheasants and birds of paradise. — From 
Publications of Society for Protection of Birds 
in Britain. 

The people of the United States have killed 
as many as fifty-iive million birds in one year : 
among these, the red-headed woodpecker: and 
what is the consequence ? We are told that 
in South Cai'olina, upon a tract of at least two 
thousand acres of forest, ninety out of every 
one hundred trees were killed by the ravages 
of a small bug. Wilson, the historian of Amer- 
ican birds, adds, ^' The woodpecker is the 
peculiar enemy of these destructive creatures." 

(To Teacher.— Read with class " The Birds of Killingworth," by 
Longfellow.) 



Lesson VIII. 



REVIEW QUESTIONSc 

What are barbs ? 
What is a quill ? 



FEATHERS. 11 

On whicli side of the c|uill is tlie feather 
widest ? 

Which side is stiifest? 

What keeps the air and water from passing 
throno'h a feather ? 

AVhy should not the air pass through ? 

Why should not water pass through ? 

A¥liy is a wing made so light ? 

See if you can explain how a bird is pushed 
forward by its wings. 

How are the featliers ari'anged on a wing ? 

How on a tail ? 

What are down feathers ? 

Tell what three things a bird can do with its 
downy feathers ? 

Are feathers easily destroyed ? 



CPIAPTER 11. 



SHELLS. 

What liidst thou in thy treasure cells, 

Thou hollow-sounding" and mysterious main ? 

Pale glistening pearls and rainbow-colored sliells. 

(To Teacher.— By starting an inquiry a few days in advance, shells 
of the right sort are sure to be brought. The lessons are restricted to 
those single-valved spiral shells of the mollusks known as Gastropods. 
But the living moUusk, which is indispensable to Lesson 7, must be 
sought for in good season. Remember that we are studying the adap- 
tation of the organ to the function.) 



Lesson" I. 

Preparation : Bring all the shells you can get. Select 
now those that are single, and more or less twisted. Pick 
out the largest and prettiest. 

Hold a shell with its opening toward you, 
and the closed end np. Always hold it in this 
way, while we talk about it. Notice how it 

13 



SHELLS. 13 

winds around. Begin at the upper end and 
count tlie turns ; be sure you bold tlie shell 
still, opening toward you. 

How many turns ? Can you find as many as 
eleven turns ? AVhich turn is the largest ? 
Place your finger on the point where the 
shell begins the twist; that point is called 
the ajyex. Keep the apex straight up. Trace 
with your pencil the line that the turns 
make. 

Now point the apex toward you, and trace 
them again. Count them ; count them in a 
good many shells. 

Have all the shells the same number of 
turns ? 

Are the coils all of the same size ? 



(To Teacher. — The object of this lessou is familiarity, merely, with 
handling the shell. A few common shells, like the Cowries, appear 
alike at both ends. The truly spiral form is much varied. The ex- 
treme forms should remain lunioticed for the present : use a good 
typical spiral. A common Winkle will do, but the exotic, prepared 
shells are so beautiful it is a pity not to have some. Keep the apex 
of a shell uppermost, as it is the starting point of growth.) 



14 SHELLS. 



Lesson II. 

Show me tlie apex of a shell. How should 
we hold our shells ? 

When anything is twisted in this way, one 
turn above another, we say it is spiral. When 
the spiral grows larger, as you leave the apex, 
it forms a spire. 

Can you think of something that is called a 

spire ? 

Twist a strip of paper into a spire. 

Push the paper spiral do^vn by pressing on 
the apex ; now the paper is «aid to lie in coils 
or rino:s. 

What shape is a shaving ? 

Pick out the longest spire among the shells. 
Pick out the flattest. 

Find three good words to describe the differ- 
ent spires. 

Are any of the shells merely coiled in flat 
coils ? 



SHELLS. 15 

Look at my watch, or at the clock, and tell 
how the hands move. Make your fingers move 
the same way, in the air. Now hold a shell 
with its apex toward you ; trace the turns from 
the apex to the opening with your pencil. Do 
they turn like the hands of a clock ? 

Does the mouth of the shell open to the left 
or to the right ? 

If this shell goes on growing largei*, where 
will the mouth be next ? 

See if we have different sizes for the same 
kind of shell. 

Do they seem to have grown from small ones 
to large ones ? 



Lesson IIL 



Copy and repeat the next Summary. 

(To Teachkr.— The motion of the hands of a clock, or of the sun's 
course, is usually instanced to describe circular motion, the words 
left and right lacking precision, because spiral movement is alternately 



16 SHELLS. 

iu each directiou. A very few shells coil the other way ; these are 
called dextral ; the greater number are sinistral, that is coiling toward 
the left. It piques curiosity to search for the dextral shells and 
emphasizes the common form. Turret-shells have long, gently sloping 
spires. Linger over these various spiral forms, until the variety and 
uniformity are both appreciated. It makes a good lesson in classifica- 
tion by likenesses.) 



Lesson IV. 



Lay the shell ^\ itli tlie opening downward, 
apex toward yon. The edge the shell rests 
on is called the lip. It is on the right side of 
the opening. 

Describe the lip of yonr shell. Describe the 
lips of three different shells. 

How are some lips ornamented ? 

Are the mouths all shaped alike ? 

The creature that lives in the shell has a 
mouth, and so there is another word for the 
shell-mouth ; it is ap-er-ture. 

Describe the aperture of three shells. 

Which way does the aperture open, to the 
left or right ? 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





1 



01 



1 782 496 2 ^ 



